Military spending in the Gulf countries reached $ 11.6 billion last year, making it one of the top spenders in the Arab world.
Qatar’s Department of Defense (MOD) received the world’s largest al-Shamal training ship on Thursday.
The training ship was first launched in February at the headquarters of the Anadolu Shipyard, at a ceremony attended by Qatar Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammed al-Athiya.
During the 2018 Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition (DIMDEX), the Qatar Emily Navy (QENF) ordered two training ships for officer candidates from the Turkish shipbuilding company Anador Shipyard.
Qatar received its first shipment in 2021, the QTS 91 Al Doha.
The Ardoha ship is considered to be the largest ship built for other countries in Turkey. The second QTS92 Al-Shamal was delivered in February this year.
According to the Qatar News Agency (QNA), Arshamal’s powerful capabilities are an important source of information for training student candidates from the Mohammed Bingonem Arganem Maritime Academy. The ship accepted up to 80 candidates from military training agencies.
Students took theoretical and practical lessons, including procedures for entering and exiting the port. The inauguration of the ship also shows the expansion of maritime relations between allies Qatar and Turkey.
At DIMDEX 2014, the Qatar Coast Guard ordered 17 high-speed patrol boats from Turkey’s ARES Shipyard. The transaction included 10 ARES 110 Heracles, 5 ARES 75 Heracles, and 2 ARES 150 Heracles.
Last year, Qatar launched the “Al Abrar Fuwairit” (type LCT80) warship, equipped with an 80-meter-long, 30mm gun and two 12.7mm STAMP guns manufactured by Turkish defense giant Aselsan.
The ship is capable of carrying three main battle tanks.
Qatar defense spending
According to the latest Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), military spending in the Gulf countries reached $ 11.6 billion last year, making it one of the top spenders in the Arab world.
According to the report, Qatar’s military spending last year was 434% higher than in 2010, when the Gulf countries last released such data.
Another last year SIPRI Report Regarding arms sales, Qatar’s imports were found to have increased by 361% between 2016 and 2020. The institute suggested that increased arms trading may be associated with increased regional tensions during the 2017 GCC crisis.
At that time, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt imposed illegal air, land, and sea blockades on Qatar. Turkey sent part of its army to Doha in the midst of the crisis.
